Most of my journal entries are your typical navel-gazing fluff. But if the spirit moves me, I'll occasionally add in a scene from a new play. Jot down ideas for a possible novel. Sometimes, I'll even write down ideas for an article to publish here on TotalBeauty. And once — ONCE — I even wrote a poem. (It was terrible. Even thinking about it makes me embarrassed. But still.)
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It sharpens my writing skills
I write pretty much every day for my job and have for the past six years. I take the occasional writing class when my schedule allows and I pride myself as being someone who's always working on my "craft."
Do you know what's made one of the most noticeable differences of all, though? Yeah, journaling. It allows me to try out different writing styles and conventions and sentence structures in a setting where I'm not being judged (since, obviously, my journals will be thrown onto my flaming funeral pyre when I die).
And maybe it's the practice of writing on a semi-regular basis, but I also feel more agile with my words somehow — like they come easier to me than they used to. I even feel like it's slightly expanded my vocabulary.
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It's calming
I used to worry that using my journaling to indulge some of my larger emotions was non-productive; that it could make me sink deeper into low points and make it harder for me to get out of them. But I've since learned that the opposite is true: By giving myself the time and space to process things, I've found that I'm able to get through them with a more level head. So, in the long run, it actually helps me spend less time dwelling in some of my more negative thoughts.
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It gives me reasons to buy expensive stationary
So, this is actually more of a "chicken or the egg" situation: Do I spend my free time near-obsessively chronicling my daily life in order to justify buying new leather-bound journals and newfangled fountain pens? Or does the purchase of said accoutrements actually inspire me to write more?
Either way, it's a win-win (except where my wallet is concerned): A few upgrades in pen and paper later and my words are flowing across the page oh-so smoothly (and rapidly). And my penmanship — while still fairly horrendous — has never looked better!
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Seriously, journal!
If this sounds even remotely intriguing to you, give it a try. (Especially if you're a writer.) It's quickly become one of my favorite hobbies and I've already found myself referring to old journals and chuckling at some past entries. Yes, Future You will likely find more cringe-worthy passages than laugh-inducing ones, but I'd say it's well-worth the trade-off.
